Stanley in July

We took our one and only camping trip of this summer up to Stanley over the 4th of July. We love it there! Carter and I couldn't help but heave a sigh of relief as we passed the spot by GrandJean where our transmission went out last year on this trip. This year we picked up Jayden from Scout Camp on our way up, so he camped for a week and a half straight altogether. I asked him if he was dying for his own bed yet, and he said, "Are you kidding me? I'd live like this all year round if I could!" I have a feeling he'd change his mind about the time the snow starts flying in Stanley. He's cute, though, and he sure does love the outdoors.



We had a fabulous time. Here are the kids in front of our awesome garage sale tent. I love this tent! I love it even more because it cost me $20, but it is heavy and warm. Setting it up is a comical process. Every time we figure we'll finally remember how to do it. And every time we lay out all the bars and then ask each other, "Now, how did this go?" I'm not sure we've ever set it up the same way twice.



Brennan was proud to pack his own heavy backpack.



How's this for camping face?! I don't know how long we'd been camping at the point that I took this picture, but I'm sure it wasn't long enough to justify this much dirt. Where's his mother, anyway?



One afternoon Carter brought out this air-pellet gun (is that the right thing to call it, Carter??) and we all took turns shooting at cans. You can do that when you're the only ones in the whole campground. We had a great time at it.





Shaylie surprised us by being an excellent shot. Surprised herself, too. I don't have any pictures of Makenna shooting because she is a lefty and maneuvered herself akwardly around the gun so that when she fired she got a scope in the eye the first time. She refused to touch it again after that.






I liked this group shot. Such happy kids. The rest of the trip was awesome, too, but I forgot my camera every time we left camp! We attended church in the gorgeous Stanley branch, explored the fish hatchery where Carter worked as a teenager, and cooked some mighty good dutch oven grub. We spent a chilly day at Redfish Lake, one of my favorite places in the whole world. We didn't do much swimming, but we did play in a paddleboat for a while, play in the sand, read, and throw frisbees on the beach. Since it was July 4th, there was music from several live bands performing on the grass by the lodge. Can you picture the scene? I hope so, it was lovely. And we enjoyed Stanley's fireworks from the front yard of the Neider's ranch; they were so sweet to invite us to join their family shindig. They really know how to throw a fireworks party! They had yummy food, a firepit, and glow bracelets! We are thankful to have them as friends. (Not just for their front yard and glow bracelets, though). I'd have a picture, but...no camera.

Camping is soooo much work! To plan meals as well as how to cook each thing, cold-weather stuff, warm-weather stuff, bedding stuff, etc, etc, it's exhausting! And then there's the clean-up of all the equipment and the LAUNDRY when we get home... At some point I always ask myself if it's worth it. And I'm sure there are plenty of other ways to make family memories, but whenever I look back on a family camping trip and the wonderful time we had all together up in the mountains, I never regret it.